2025

Schmitz, Sara, MEd, LPC

Sara Schmitz is the owner of Red Cardigan Counseling in Valley Park, MIssouri. Sara received her BA from Truman State University in 2003 and her M.Ed from the University of Missouri- St. Louis is 2009. Since that time she has worked in community mental health settings, including working with early intervention and substance abuse prevention, foster care, adoption, and out of home placements. After working in a group private practice for 5 years, Sara founded Red Cardigan Counseling in 2024. Sara has worked with children, adolescents, and young adults for her entire career. She has a focus on play therapy, and multiple trauma modalities, including EMDR and Trauma Informed Expressive Arts.

Presentation(s):

Why Are They Doing That? What Children Are Trying to Tell You

Firebaugh, Marie-Laure, MSW

Marie-Laure Firebaugh, LMSW completed her Master of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and is now a Clinical Research Specialist at Washington University School of Medicine. In this role, she serves as the Director Missouri Eating Disorders Council’s initiatives: Body U and 360 Eating Disorders Training program. Body U is a state-wide initiative to screen treat and prevent eating disorder in adults and adolescents founded in 2013. Body U offers online eating disorder screening and a suite of tailored online/mobile interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and addressing eating disorders to all Missourians. In her work with the 360 Eating Disorders program, Ms. Firebaugh organizes workshops across the state to train clinicians in evidence-based practices for EDs and has co-created an eating disorders training curriculum with Dr. Jenny Copeland. Ms. Firebaugh is very passionate about this work and she has harnessed this passion to fuel her work to promote eating disorders awareness, prevention, and evidence-based in Missouri through presentations and workshops to raise awareness of eating disorders and educate Missourians on ways to improve body image.

Presentation(s)

Filtered Realities: Addressing the Impact of Social Media on Body Image and Eating Disorders

Vivitrol

Alkermes is a leader in innovative medicines that address the unmet needs and challenges of people living with debilitating diseases. As a fully integrated global biopharmaceutical company, Alkermes applies our scientific expertise, proprietary technologies and global resources to develop products that are designed to make a meaningful difference in the way patients manage their disease.

website: http://www.alkermes.com/

Missouri Eating Disorders Council

The Missouri Eating Disorders Council leads the development of eating disorders education, awareness, and research initiatives throughout the state and promotes increased access to empirically-supported prevention and treatment services.

website: http://moedc.org

Department of Mental Health Supported Employment

The Missouri Department of Mental Health along with our partners, community provider agencies, other state and local funding agencies is committed to enhancing community employment options for persons we serve. The Department believes that all individuals who want to work CAN work and contribute to their community when given opportunity, training, and supports that build on an individual’s strengths. Our expectation is that everyone of working age and those supporting them should consider work as their first option as fully participating members of their community, and should build on career planning and engage in work that makes sense to them.

Our Vision

Employment is a viable option for all people who want to work.

Beliefs:

People who want to work can work
People that are of working age are expected to work
People have the right to achieve their career goals
People should earn prevailing wage in an integrated setting of their choice
People should have the opportunity and support to realize economic self-sufficiency

Developmental Disabilities Youth Transition & Employment Services

Division of Behavioral Health Employment Services

Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous is a nonprofit, international, community-based organization for recovering addicts, which is active in over 132 countries. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) members learn from one another how to live drug-free and recover from the effects of addiction in their lives.

http://www.showmeregionna.org

Compass Health Network

Through the delivery of compassionate, quality care, we help people find their way along a path to better physical and emotional health.

We are Compass Health Network. Operating only from the highest ethical and professional standards, we provide access to innovative care designed to meet the health needs of the communities we serve. By earning the trust and respect of those we serve, we provide the promise of a better, healthier tomorrow that only an integrated, whole-person health organization can deliver.

http://www.compasshealthnetwork.org

Midwest Special Needs Trust

Midwest Special Needs Trust (MSNT) provides trust services for persons with disabilities. The organization was established as a result of advocacy by parents and professionals who realized that many obstacles hinder planning for the financial future of individuals with disabilities. The organization was created by statute (RSMo 402.199 – 402.220) in 1989. MSNT is a 501(c)(3) general non-profit organization established for the purpose of administering special needs trusts.

Special needs trusts are a type of trust specifically designed for individuals with disabilities. If properly structured and administered, special needs trusts do not affect an individual’s eligibility for benefits such as SSI or Medicaid.

In addition, MSNT administers the Charitable Trust. Funds of the Charitable Trust are used to provide assistance to individuals with disabilities who meet eligibility and income criteria.

MSNT is governed by a nine member Board of Trustees and its operations are conducted by a five person Staff. Board members are appointed by the governor of the State with advice and consent of the Senate. Six Board members are individuals who have a family member with a disability. Three Board members are individuals with expertise in business. Board members serve without compensation and are appointed to 3 year terms.

http://www.midwestspecialneedstrust.org

Missouri Credentialing Board

The Missouri Credentialing Board (MCB) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1977 from the (then) Missouri Association of Alcoholism Counselors for the purpose of providing a recognized credential for qualified professionals working in the field of substance use disorders.
MCB is a proud member of IC&RC, which protects the public by establishing standards and facilitating reciprocity for the credentialing of addiction-related professionals. The largest organization of its kind, IC&RC represents more than 40,000 professionals worldwide. The IC&RC web address is www.internationalcredentialing.org.

http://missouricb.com/

Missouri Institute of Mental Health

MIMH has informed new knowledge that supports the mental health and wellbeing of persons with behavioral health problems through research and evaluation, policy development, technological innovation, and training. Today, MIMH is poised to become one of the country’s finest health services research organizations dedicated to serving the state and the nation by improving the delivery of behavioral health services.

http://www.mimh.edu